Join SeaTrek Sailing Adventures on a sea adventure like never before, as we sail out over the eastern seas of Indonesia to witness a total solar eclipse in the remote southern reaches of Indonesia’s remote Banda Sea.
Travelling aboard a small armada of traditional, wooden, pinisi liveaboard boats, handcrafted on the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi by local craftsmen using ancient techniques handed down from father to son over many centuries, you will witness not only one of the most profound of all nature’s celestial wonders, but also see and experience some of the very best culture, nature, and landscapes that Indonesia has to offer, including snorkeling some of the world’s most beautiful coral reefs. This truly is a one in a lifetime opportunity.
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After a beautiful low-altitude flight from Bali that will overfly the Komodo National Park, we will arrive in Maumere on the island of Flores in the early afternoon. You will be picked up at the airport and taken directly to the boat and head off on our journey. This day we will have a chance to relax and get acquainted with our new home, getting to know our fellow travellers and enjoying the tropical sunshine and breeze on our faces as we head east. At sunset, we will enjoy cocktails on the deck as the sun sinks nicely slowly into the west.
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Just after dawn, we will arrive at the small island of Batang, where we will have the morning to enjoy our first snorkel of the trip along the colourful coral reefs. The island has a small settlement on the northern side, so we may stop by for a visit and met the local people. Mid-afternoon we will head east once more in the direction of Wetar, hopefully arriving in the morning.
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Waking up offshore of the coast of Wetar we will go ashore and visit a local village and their school, where we will have a chance to meet the locals and be witness to a special cultural performance in our honour. Later that morning we will go snorkelling on a nearby island in front of the village with good corals and lots of big fish. Early afternoon we will set off to Romang Island, enjoying sunset drinks and dinner on board.
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We will wake up off the coast of the beautiful island of Romang, already in the eclipse zone. We will go ashore and meet the local people and catch a glimpse into their daily lives, as well as visiting the school where we can donate books and school supplies. We will spend the afternoon snorkelling and visit a second local village (optional), where we can again visit the school and meet the kids there. We then move to a small island near Maupora island for a great snorkelling and a relaxing day beach time before heading to our viewing spot at a small white-sand island just off-shore. Here guests who wish to set up camera equipment on land can do so, while others can swim and snorkel.
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Waking up we will organise into groups for the commencement of the eclipse at around midday. Those who have set upon the island will be transferred to the beach, while those who want to stay on the boat can relax and wait for the festivities to begin, maybe even go snorkelling or exploring on the spectacular coral reefs. This evening we will be having a large communal BBQ party on the beach with all the boats to celebrate this wonderful celestial event. After the party, we will head off back in the direction of Weter for a long crossing back across to Wetar Island to start the return leg of our journey.
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Waking up exhilarated and not without a few sore heads amongst us, today will be one of relaxation. Depending on what time we finish the party and depart the night before, we will make landfall in the afternoon in Wetar where we will go snorkelling and have some beach time before continuing our journey westwards towards the island of Sika.
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We will arrive in the early morning in Sika, a small Island in the northern part of Alor, which has some fantastic snorkelling with lots of corals and sea grass habitat, a favourite location of the dugong. If we are extremely lucky we may have the chance to spot one. From here we will cruise to the southwest of Alor to Lingal and Pantar Islands.
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Lingal has a beautiful white sandy beach located on the southwest part of Alor, and we will enjoy the snorkelling and swimming before cruising to the southeast part of Pantar island to visit Tamakh village, a place seldom been visited by foreigners before. In fact, our 2018 textile cruise was the first time all the villagers had ever meet foreigners. They will welcome us to the village wearing their beautiful bitil tube skirts, and will perform the Lego-Lego dance for us, and we will be invited to enjoy a bit of audience participation. We will then head back to the boat and cruise to Solor.
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After breakfast, it will be a good time for some water activities; kayaks and paddle boards for the keen, and swimming for the others. (The snorkelling isn’t so great here), before we visit the old fort at Lohayong. From Lohayong we cross to Larantuka, a bustling little town situated at the foot of the imposing Ile Mandiri volcano, and a very nice example of urban island life. As we go ashore we will be welcomed by local Lamaholot villagers who will show us in detail how they produce their fantastic earthy-brown ikat fabric, which are decorated with small white seashells. We will go snorkelling in the afternoon before heading off for an overnight crossing to Maumere.
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On this, our last day, we will visit Wuring village, a Bajau ‘sea gypsy’ settlement, a village built on the water of coral rocks and wooden poles. Living right the way across the waters of the Coral Triangle, this is a fascinating insight into a very traditional way of life. We well then head back to the boat to have lunch and to bid or final goodbyes to our crew before heading back to the airport for our flights back to Bali.
